Kleenex wants to Save the Field Trip starting at the Museum of Natural History

Huge moth at National Museum of Natural History

Field trips are not just a day off from school (or work)

The Twofer have been going on field trips since they were three and I saw first-hand how field trips were an important part of their education. Living in the DC area we are lucky to have so many incredible museums and other educational resources right in our back yard. As a chaperone on some of these trips I could see how the kids really absorbed what they were learning in school, when they 'experienced' it on a field trip.

Kleenex wants to Save the Field Trip

As school budgets get cut, field trips are getting cut as well. Kleenex is donating $500,000 to schools so they can continue with field trips. What schools will they help? The depends on YOU! Head over to the Kleenex Facebook page and support your school or one of the other schools in need. The top 100 schools will each recieve $5,000 from Kleenex!

Field Trip to the National Museum of Natural History

We were treated to a private tour of the National Museum of Natural History as well as lunch and an IMAX movie courtesy of Kleenex so that we can help spread the word about their effort to save field trips. Here is just some of what we saw to get you excited about nominating your own school and getting your friends and family to vote!

Forensics Lab at National Museum of Natural History

Madagascan Hissing Cockroach at Museum of Natural History

Butterfly Pavillion at Museum of Natural History

Disclosure: I received compensation for working with Kleenex to promote the Save the Field Trip contest including a free lunch and IMAX movie at the museum. All opinions are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published.

Whoa! Things have gotten a little slow around here!

It's been so long since I posted I think I have actual cobwebs on my blog!

The spam commenters are back in full force too. That's nothing you'll see but I see it on the back end in old posts and whatnot.

So where have I been?

Well, the end of the school year is always crazy with butterfly release parties and all that good stuff.

And Swim Team always keeps us busy from before school lets out when practice is every week night.

Then we went on vacation to the Jersey Shore like we did last year. (Remember the Bumpit photos?)

Then I played catch up with work...

But now I'm back, and ready to roll.

I have a few new things I'll announce in the coming weeks.

And a few headaches I'm sure to experience.

So what have YOU been up to?

We cut it close on the first day of school but at least we eat well

Here's what I did this morning all before 8:00 am:

1. made chocolate chip pancakes

2. made bacon

3. made an egg casserole (for the annual neighborhood brunch)

4. Packed lunches including snack

With all the cooking I barely had time to take the traditional snuggle-up-to-your-sister-and-smile-even-though-I-just-yelled-at-you-for-changing-your-shoes-for-the-third-time photo:

But, they do look so cute don't they? Not matching but definitely twins at their best. And, they were excited.

So excited I could hardly get them to slow down enough for me to take this photo of the walk.

Phew! We didn't miss the line-up outside and we even found a few of our friends in class.

I can't wait to hear how it all went. And the goal for tomorrow? Less cooking, more snuggling.

How was your first day of school?

Janine

For more on back-to-school see

Fashion Friday: bold print backpacks and Chucks

Wisdom from the bottom of a mimosa

How do they know this stuff?

The other night The Twofer and I were watching something on TV where it mentioned a person who was paralyzed.

El, "Mommy what does paralyzed mean?"

Me, "It means you can't move something like your legs are paralyzed."

Em, "Oh! Like the violinist Itzhak Perlman! He had polio when he was a child and he couldn't move his legs."

What random facts have your children surprized you with?

Janine

Balancing act with twins goes far beyond balacing those infant car seats

It's tough carrying two infant car seats. One is usually heavier than the other or swings awkwardly around and hits your leg.

It's also tough to balance the feeding/eating/napping schedule of newborn twins...actually that also applies to toddler twins too come to think of it.

As they get older, it can be tough to balance the needs of twins in school, in sports, or even what they need emotionally from you at any given time. 

Most recently we're trying to balance celebrating the success of one twin without discouraging the other.

I know all parents have to deal with this at some point where the older child might always be a better student, etc. But can you imagine being compared to your sibling every day on the exact same projects at the same time?

Luckily they both have strenths in something. It's just that this time El's artistic ability has take her farther... and farther.

Her artwork was chosen to be at a show in a local mall. It was displayed along with other art from kids in her school and in a collection of fantastic art from schools all over the county.

We went and took a picture of her and her "kitty in the city".

That yellow dot? Yea that means something.

We had no idea at the time but El's piece was one of only 20 to be chosen to tour the county for the next year! It's quite an honor and while we don't get to see kitty again until Spring of 2011, she was happy to let it be a part of the tour.

Em was gracious. She stood by her sister and smiled and took a photo with her. But I know it was hard.

When the note came home from the art teacher she praised both girls (thankfully that has happened before) and I read that part aloud. I was going to stop there and read the rest of the details to El later, and thus spare Em from having to hear just how fabulous her sister's artwork is. But she wanted to hear it.

She insisted.

She is learning to share that pride.

I'm so proud of them both.

Janine